Trump Diplomats Shake Allies: “Deeply Disturbing Conduct”

A Creaking Machine

The international diplomatic machinery is straining under the pressure of a series of controversial statements and actions by American ambassadors appointed by former president Donald Trump. Within a matter of days, Denmark, France, and Turkey have all sharply condemned behavior they label as “indecent,” “provocative,” and “damaging to cooperation.”

In Denmark, the U.S. ambassador was summoned for talks following revelations about possible covert operations in Greenland. In Paris, Trump’s father-in-law, Charles Kushner, was directly criticized by the French government for accusing the country of fostering antisemitism in connection with the recognition of a Palestinian state. And in Lebanon, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey was forced to apologize after calling journalists “animalistic.”

A Silent Administration

Where one would normally expect a conciliatory response from Washington, the diplomatic protests were instead met with silence—and in some cases, mockery. A senior Trump aide commented on the Danish reaction, saying: “The Danes need to calm down.”

White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly made it clear that the president “has full confidence in his entire team to advance his ‘America First’ foreign policy.” This statement stands in sharp contrast to the frustration among allies over what they see as a lack of willingness to cooperate.

Ambassadors as Political Actors

Trump’s diplomatic approach is not new. Even during his first term, his envoys caused waves in places like Germany, South Africa, and the European Union. Many of these ambassadors were appointed based on personal ties and campaign donations—rather than diplomatic qualifications. Some even used their positions to advance views directly at odds with State Department policy.

According to a former senior official, Trump enjoyed the attention whenever his ambassadors “stirred things up” and would often send them encouraging notes following media coverage.

Is the U.S. Squandering Its Advantage?

What was once seen as a dream alliance between the West and the United States is now at risk of unraveling. Iver B. Neumann from the Fridtjof Nansen Institute warns that the American approach could prove costly in the global competition with China:

“One of the U.S.’s greatest assets in its rivalry with China is its many allies. Deliberately alienating them could be a geopolitical miscalculation.”

With a potential summit between Trump and China’s leadership slated for this autumn, these recent incidents could have consequences far beyond the headlines.

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